Elevated carrier.



B. SNYDER.

ELEVATED GARBIBB.

APPLICATION rum) IAY25,1908.

902,924. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

j 5.. witness y l tw UNITED STATESWPNTENT OFFICE.

BYRON SNYDER, OF CLINTON, WISCONSIN.

ELEVATED CARRIER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, Rock county, Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevated Carriers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain im rovements in elevated carriers; and the o jects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following description of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now consider the preferred embodiment of my invention from among other arrangements and formations within the spirit and S00 e of the invention.

n object of the invention is to provide an improved and exceedingly simple and eflicient wheeled hanger guard a apted to be depressed by enga ement with switches or the like to permit the wheel or wheels of the hanger to ass from the cable or wire to the switch an which will automatically assume its normal operative guarding position as the wheel or wheels leave the switch.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in trips for actuating the latch releasing lever of the movable carrier for the purpose of dumping the carrier where desired, said improvements being designed to ermit ready and easy shifting of the trip a on the elevated ca le or other track to any esired point without re uiring preliminary loosening of screws, b0 ts or other securing devices, and whereby the trip will be automatically locked or held to the wire by and during the engagement of said lever therewith for the 1gurpose of rocking said lever to trip the late The invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in arrangements or combinations of parts as more fully and particularly pointed out hereinafter.

Referringto the accompanying drawings Figure 1, is a perspective view disclosingJ portions of an elevated carrier system em odying my improvements. Fig. 2, is a side ele- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1908.

. in the form of a cable 1.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Serial No. 434,896.

vation of one of the wheeled hangers, showing a portion of the top frame bar. Fig. 3, is an end elevation of one of the wheeled hangers, the top frame bar being shown in cross section. Fig. 4, is a side elevation of the trip on the cable, the housing being partially broken away, dotted lines indicating different positions of the T-lever.

In the drawings, I show the elevated track This cable is supported in any suitable manner to extend be tween the desired points from which and to which material is to be conveyed. The elevated track systems often embody branches, and curves or switches wherein the wheeled hangers of the litter boxes or other traveling carriers pass from the cables onto sections of angle irons or track sections formed by bars or the like.

I show a litter box or elevated carrier comprising an open top dump box 2, having end trunmons mounte to turn in journal boxes or the like at the lower ends of the depending legs of a supporting frame consisting of longitudinal top bar 3, from the ends of which said legs 4, depend. Any suitable latch mechanism can be provided to normally hold the box in upright carrying position and by which the box can be dumped to deposit its load at the desired location. For instance, I show vertically swingable latch 5, ivoted to one of the frame legs 4, and at its f fee end adapted to drop into a locking notch or opening in keeper 6, secured to the adjacent end of the box. This latch can be elevated to re lease the box and permit dumpin thereof by a trip or latch releasing lever 7, etween its ends fulcrumed to the top frame bar and normally assuming an upri ht position extending above and below sai bar and at its up er end just below the cable said lever has a ateral projection 8, to engage a tri arranged on the cable as hereinafter described.

The lower end of the latch releasing lever can be operatively connected with the latch through the medium of pull link 9, lever 10, fulcrumed to a frame le and pull link 11, the o eration of which Wlll be readily understoo by those skilled in the art.

One or more wheeled hangers traveling on the elevated track, are provided to support upwardly projecting ears 19,

and carry the frame and dump box. In the specific example illustrated, I show the frame supported by two wheeled hangers arranged, respectively at the op osite end portions of the frame top bar. ltach hanger comprises an upright metal frame or bar 1.2, at its upper end rigid with a horizontally disposed strong metal loop 13, in which the grooved wheel 14, is arran ed on a transverse horizontal axle mounte in or carried by said loo and the hanger bar or frame. The whee extends above and below the loop and receives and travels on the cable or other track. At its lower end, the hanger bar or frame is formed with a pair of lateral ears 15, 16, the lower car 15, extending transversely of the lower edge of the frame top bar, and the upper ear 16 transversely across the top edge of said bar, and the hanger is usually pivotally joined to said frame top bar by a vertical pivot bolt 17, passed down through said ears and said frame to bar, whereby each hanger can oscillate horizontally on its pivot bolt and independently of the top frame bar when passing along curves, switches or the like, although I do not wish to so limit my invention,

The wheel of each hanger is arranged some distance above the frame top bar, and while the hanger frame or upright 12, guards one side of the space between said wheel and the frame top bar, it is desirable to provide a movable guard device for the other side of said space between the wheel and frame top bar to prevent the wheel jumping the cable. To this end I provide the free or outer end of the top ear 16, with an upwardly projecting flange 18, terminating in a pair of space etween which ocate and fulcrum or pivot, on pin or fulcrum 20, a depressible guard 21, for normally closing or bridging the otherwise 0 en space between the frame top bar and tl e hanger wheel.

The guard 21 is formed in one piece of the required stiffness and strength and is usually in the form of an elongated bowed bar or metal plate or approximately of an inverted U-shape. The guard bar or plate has a rounded or curved top edge, or in other words the crown of the guard is rounded and the guard is formed with legs or arms diverging downwardly from said crown. The guard is pivoted to the hanger frame, usually through the medium of said support rising from ear 16, to swing vertically; one of said legs of the guard passing down between said ears 19, and intermediate its length fulcrumed thereto by pin 20, so that the free end of said leg continues downwardl at an angle beyond said ears 19. From t e ears 19, the guard extends upwardly at an angle with the rounded or curved crown of the guard normally arranged at the outer side face of the hanger wheel and with the two legs curving and diverging downwardly therefrom, one leg being free and the other fulcrumed as described.

The guard is yieldingly upheld in normal position closing the space below the wheel either by the weight of the lower projecting end of its fulcrunied leg, or by a suitable retractive coiled spring 22, at one end secured to said projecting leg end and at its other end secured to the flange 18. The spring yieldingly holds the guard in operative normal position, and the edge of the fulcrumed leg against a suitable stop, such as the top edge of flange 18, between the lower ends of ears 19.

Whenever a hanger reaches a switch or other point where it is necessary for the hanger wheels to pass from the cable track, the switch end or lateral edge will ride on the rounded crown of each guard, in whichever direction the carrier may be moving, and thereby depress said guard from normal position, permitting the hanger wheel to move laterally from the cable and travel along the switch. When the hanger leaves the switch and again passes onto the cable, each guard will automatically swing up to normal operative guarding position. I find that this guard arrangement and formation is exceedingly efficient, and yet is sim le, economical and effective in action, as wil be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

As hereinbefore mentioned, a trip is ar-- ranged on the track 1, to engage the end 8, of the latch releasin lever to cause the litter box to dump at t e desired location. It is often desirable to change or vary the dump ing station or location, and with the trips in common use, this is a difficult operation as the tracks are elevated a considerable distance above the ground so that such trips are difficult of access for releasing the clamping screws thereof to permit adjustment of the trips longitudinally of the cable and re-clampin or securing thereof. To overcome these di iculties, I have provided a trip which is normally loose or freely movable on and longitudinally of the elevated track and which is momentarily locked thereto only while under the pressure of the latch releasing lever, whereby the trip when disengaged from the latch releasing lever, can be easily shifted longitudinally of the elevated track by a stick or pole in the hands of the operator While standing on the ground or in any other suitable manner.

In the specific example illustrated, the trip consists of an elongated inverted U- shaped housing or casing 23, normally loosely straddling the elevated track and ham ing therefrom so as to be readily shifted longitudinally along said track.

A T-shaped locking lever is fulcrumed in T-shaped lever in the depending side walls of said housing below the track therein. This lever is usually formed in one piece and consists of the deending leg or arm 26, and the horizontal ead 24, arranged longitudinally within the easin and at approximately the center of its length mounted on pin or fulcrum 25, pass ing transversely through the lever and dcpending sides of the housing. The leg so. depends from the center of the head ll, and. is of suitable length and formation to constitute the latch-releasing-lever engagin and o erating portion of the trip. The said T s aped lever is loosely hung or mounted in the trip housing and the fulcrum 25, is so arranged that the top longitudinal edge of the head of the lever is normally arranged below and out of effective contact with the elevated track, gravity yieldingly holding said normal position out of effective contact with the elevated track so that the trip is free to be moved longitudinally of the track.

The arrangement is such, however, that when the latch-roleasing-lever of a moving carrier forcibly engages the depending end or leg of the T-shaped lever, said T-lever is thereby rocked vertically on its ful-- cruin and one of the biting or gripping upper corner edges 27 of its top head is forced up into locking engagement with the elevated track, thereby track against longitudinal movement there on. When the carrier is moving in the opposite direction, the T-lever will be swung in the opposite direction, and the opposite gripping corner edge 27, of its head will grip the elevated track between the same and the top of the housing and hold the trip against longitudinal movement on the track until the trip has performed its function of throwing the latch releasing lever of the carrier. 'When said latch-releasing lever has passed beyond the Tlever, said lever of the trip will drop back to its normal freely hanging position leaving the trip loose and free to be moved on the elevated track.

In the drawings, I show a brake ism for locking the carrier against movement on the track, said mechanism comprising a brake shoe or lever 29, and an operating connection or slide 30,therefor, but this arrangement as well as certain other features shown in the drawings and. described herein, are disclosed and claimed in my U. S. patent application filed September 14, 1907, Se. No. 392943, and allowed Dec. 3, 1907, the present application being particularly devoted to the guard and trip devices disclosed.

It is evident that various changes and modifications might be resorted to in the forms, constructions and arrangements disclosed, that elements might be omitted or looking the trip to the l l l mechan other elements added without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and hence I. do not wish. to limit myself to the exact construction disclosed.

What I claim is:'

1. An elevated carrier having a wheeled hanger provided with a yieldingly upheld swinging depressilile guard.

2. A wheeled hanger guard yieldingly upheld in normal operative position, and adapted to be depressed by engagement with an elevated tract; switch. or the like.

3. A wheeled hanger provided with a yieldingly upheld deprcssilile guard having at its crown a curved switch engaging surface.

4. A wheeled hanger provided with a dcnessihle guard yicldingly upheld in normal elevated position, means limiting upward movement of said guard beyond its normal position, said guard adapted to be depressed by engagement with an elevated track switch or the like.

5. A wheeled hanger providcd with a depressiblc guard having a top switch engaging crown with its top edges, diverging downwardly from said crown, and means yieldingly upholding said guard in its normal elevated posititini.

(i. A wheeled hanger provided with a guard approximately inverted U-shaped having a curved switch engaging crown, said guard being near one end l'nlcrunied to the hanger to swing vertically and having means yicldingly upholding the some in a normal operative position.

7. A wheeled hanger provided with a guard consisting of a bar having downwardly diverging ends, one of said ends fulcrumed to the hanger and depending below the fulcrum, and a spring secured to the hanger and to said depending end to yieldingly uphold the guard in nornuil operative position.

A trip for elevated carrier tracks normally loosely mounted on and longitudiinilly movable along the track and comprising a housing provided with a trip lever having a cross head for locking the trip to the track when moved in either direction from normal position, substantially as described.

9. An elevated carrier comprising an elevated track, a carrier supported tliercl and movable along the track and comprising a dump box and a latch mechanism therefor provided with latch releasing lever adjacent said track, and a trip movable along the track and comprising a housing provided with a T-shapcd trip lever for locking the trip to the track when. engaged by said latch releasing lever.

10 An elevated track trip comprising a housing normally loosely hung on. and movable along the track, and a trip lever fulcrumed in. the housing, said lever adapted to lUO be engaged and swung by the latch releasin and formed with :1 depending leg, substan n lever nl an elevated carrier and provided wit tially as described. opposite gripping edges to lock the trip to the In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, truck when said lever is swung in either diin presence of two Witnesses.

5 rcciion.

11. A trip for elevated carrier tracks com- BYRON SNYDER prising a U-shaped housing, and a T-lever l Vitnesses: having its head arranged between and ful- H. A. MOEHLENPAH,

crumed t0 the depending sides of the housing i F. W. HERRON. 

